Indivisible Acton Area and IndivisibleLAB were excited to co-host our April 2023 Take Action Forum where we met GenZ climate activists. Sara Karp and Eben Bein gave a great presentation on Our Climate, which is part of the Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition (MYCC).
Sara Karp (she/her) is a Massachusetts Fellow who is currently a sophomore at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School. Prior to joining the Our Climate team, Sara has worked to create and advance local level policy including the Acton Climate Action Plan and a proposal for 100% renewable electricity in Acton. Eben Bein (he/they) is a high-school-teacher-turned-climate-justice-organizer. He joined Our Climate in 2018, after 6 years of teaching biology at Revere High School (MA) and Phillips Exeter Academy (NH). They are now MA Field and Education Manager as well as administrator for the Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition, where they empower and co-learn with next generation climate advocates across the state.
It was a very exciting and motivating discussion – I highly recommend watching the recording to see one of the strong, new, grassroots groups working on climate crisis mitigation. This group has really done the deep work to create a space for youth to do essential advocacy for climate.
I really loved the Adultism discussion about the push/pull between adults saying “you guys are the future, save us!” and “that won’t work, do it our way.” Get ready to be energized!
Our Climate slide show is here. (starts at 3:57 on the recording)
MYCC Legislation starts at 44 min.
Rodenticide and Bee the Solution slide show is here. (starts at 1:15 on the recording)
Actions
Action 1: Please write to your state representative and state senator and advocate for H496, the interdisciplinary climate justice education bill. Multiple variations of this climate Ed bill were filed this session, but none contain key language written by youth stakeholders. Namely, the senate bill by the same name does not include MYCC’s language, so we are asking all legislators to support H.496. After you have written your legislator, please carefully log it on Our Climate’s tracking tool here. (need help? Just email Christine@IndivisibleActon.org)
Action 2: Read carefully Being an effective adult ally in MYCC (here), especially: support educators and staffers who work with young people; provide digital, moral, and organizing support; and offer specific support to a specific event. Can you help or do you know someone who could? Acton does have a student group, Resource Force, who are doing amazing work on the local level, but they just aren’t tied into state efforts. It appears that Littleton doesn’t have a student group, does your town’s high school?